A majority of American adults are overweight, with more than 30% of adults suffering from obesity. An increasing number of adults are extremely obese, with a BMI of 40 or more. Bariatric surgery can change these individuals from sad statistics to healthy, happy survivors.
Bariatric surgery restricts stomach size, or leads to decreased absorption of nutrients, or both. These procedures can provide dramatic health benefits, including reversal of type 2 diabetes and prevention of cancer (CBS). However, as with any surgery, there are risks and considerations. Use the menu options on the left to discover whether you are a weight loss surgery candidate.
Bariatric surgery is mainstream
The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services recognized bariatric surgery as an effective means of weight loss. Here is a quote from their publication “Longitudinal Assessment of Bariatric Surgery (LABS)”:
“Currently, the most effective means of losing substantial weight and maintaining that weight
loss is through bariatric surgery (National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases).”
The publication notes that bariatric surgeries rose almost tenfold in the United States from the early 1990s to 2003, when over 103,000 patients underwent bariatric surgery. Latest figures indicate that in 2007, that number nearly doubled again, with 200,000 patients undergoing bariatric surgery.
Bariatric surgery provides real health benefits
Studies and thousands of bariatric surgery results prove that bariatric surgery reverses type 2 diabetes, prevents many cancers, cures sleep apnea, improves hypertension (blood pressure) and coronary artery disease (cholesterol).
The diabetes and cancer benefits are overwhelming. Each year over 100,000 people die of obesity-related cancers. For those people in the risk group, their risk of developing cancer is cut by 50% after undergoing bariatric surgery ( CBS). The numbers are even better for diabetes. Approximately 80% of patients with diabetes go into complete remission of their type 2 diabetes after undergoing bariatric bypass surgery.
Most patients who undergo bariatric surgery lose an average of one-third of their body weight. For a morbidly obese individual, this figure is a life saver.
Find out more about bariatric surgery
There are several types of bariatric surgeries; lap band and gastric bypass are only two. Each procedure provides different benefits, risks, and considerations. Use the menu options on the left to find out more, including if you are a candidate for bariatric surgery.